— 

The  Church 

and 

International  Peace 


A Series  of  Papers  by  the  Trustees  of 
THE  CHURCH  PEACE  UNION 

III 

The  Scourge  of  Militarism 

by 

Rev.  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D. 


THE  CHURCH  PEACE  UNION 
70  Fifth  Avenue 

NEW  YORK 


The  Church  and  International  Peace 

A uniform  series  of  papers  by  the  Trustees  of  The 
Church  Peace  Union,  treating  the  problems  of  war  and 
peace  from  the  point  of  view  of  religion,  and  especially 
emphasizing  the  message  the  Church  should  have  for  the 
world  in  this  time  of  war. 


ALREADY  PUBLISHED 

1.  The  Cause  of  the  War,  by  Rev.  Charles  E.  Jefferson,  D.D. 

2.  The  Midnight  Cry,  by  Rt.  Rev.  David  H.  Greer,  D.D. 

3.  The  Scourge  of  Militarism,  by  Rev.  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D. 


IN  PREPARATION 

1.  Europe’s  War,  America’s  Warning,  by  Rev.  Charles  S.  Mac- 

farland,  Ph.D. 

2.  The  Way  to  Disarm,  by  Hamilton  Holt,  LL.D. 

3.  The  Breakdown  of  Civilisation,  by  Rev.  William  Pierson  Mer- 

rill, D.D. 

4.  After  the  War — What?  by  Rev.  Francis  E.  Clark,  D.D. 

5.  Our  Grounds  of  Hope,  by  Rt.  Rev.  William  Lawrence,  D.D. 

6.  The  United  Church  and  the  Terms  of  Peace,  by  Rev.  Frederick 

Lynch,  D.D. 

7.  The  Church’s  Mission  as  to  War  and  Peace,  by  Rev.  Junius  B. 

Remensnyder,  D.D. 

8.  Adequate  Armaments,  by  Prof.  William  I.  HulL 


A 

% 

The  Scourge  of  Militarism* 

By  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D. 

The  two  greatest  influences  in  the  world  at  this  time 
are  those  expressed  by  the  principles  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  the  former  representing  the  power  of 
overcoming  evil  with  good,  and  the  latter  representing  the 
power  of  overcoming  evil  with  evil.  One  stands  for  love, 
humility  and  self-denial  as  expressed  in  the  life  of  yoke  fellow- 
ship with  Himself.  The  other  stands  for  hate,  pride  and 
avarice  as  expressed  in  the  militarism  of  these  times.  The 
two  forces  have  perhaps  never  been  in  such  severe  conflict 
since  the  earthly  life  of  our  Lord.  Now  they  appear  in 
shocking  contrast. 

The  whole  life  of  Christ  was  a protest  against  force  and 
militarism.  In  His  infancy.  He  fled  from  the  sword  of 
Herod.  When  Satan  offered  to  Him  the  militarism  of  the 
world  as  expressed  in  kingdoms  and  their  glory.  He  answered : 
“Get  thee  hence,  Satan,  for  it  is  written : Thou  shalt  worship 
the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve.”  ^ When 
James  and  John  wanted  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  for 
the  destruction  of  the  Samaritan  village,  which  had  rejected 
them,  Christ  rebuked  them,  and  some  ancient  authorities 
have  added  that  He  said : “Ye  know  not  what  manner  of 

spirit  ye  are  of ; for  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  destroy 
men’s  lives,  but  to  save  them.”  ^ When  He  was  arrested  in 
the  garden  of  Gethsemane  and  Peter  attempted  to  come  to 
His  defence  by  the  wordly  method  of  militarism,  Christ 
rebuked  him,  saying:  “Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  its 

place;  for  all  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the 
sword.  Or  thinkest  thou  that  I cannot  beseech  my  Father, 
and  He  shall  even  now  send  me  more  than  twelve  legions  of 
angels?”  ® 

* This  thought  is  further  developed  in  Dr.  Ainslie’s  book  “Christ 
or  Napoleon — Which?”  just  published  by  the  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 
New  York,  of  which  this  article  is  a chapter. 

iMatt.  4:10.  2 Luke  9:52-56.  ^ Matt.  26:52,  53. 


3 


The  life  of  Christ  on  earth  could  be  no  other 'than  this. 
Mark  you,  He  is  the  Teacher.  When  the  military 
power  had  succeeded  in  their  purpose  and  He  was  being 
crucified,  He  prayed : “Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do.”  ^ This  is  the  spirit  of  Christ  and  the 
apostles  expressed  it  in  their  lives  and  writings.  “It  is  said 
that,  for  a century  or  more  after  the  death  of  Jesus,  no 
follower  of  His  was  enrolled  in  any  army  or  took  part  in  any 
battle.  This  may  not  be  literally  true,  but  it  was  true  in 
spirit.  The  centurion,  Maximilian,  we  are  told,  threw  down 
his  military  belt  at  the  head  of  his  legion,  saying:  T am  a 

Christian,  therefore  I cannot  fight.’  And  these  words,  says 
Harnack,  became  a common  formula  with  men  who  believed 
in  a brotherhood  not  to  be  achieved  through  killing.  It  was 
only  under  Constantine  (A.  D.  312)  that  the  Cross  was 
brought  into  the  service  of  war.”  ^ 

From  that  time  to  this,  Christians  killing  each  other  in 
battle  has  become  one  of  the  commonest  experiences  of  life. 
It  is  almost  universally  held  as  a mark  of  honor.  Once  I 
attended  a large  convention  of  Christian  workers.  One 
of  the  speakers,  telling  of  the  fidelity  of  young  Christians 
mentioned  the  case  of  a young  man,  who  on  accepting 
Christ  as  his  Saviour,  almost  immediately  left  for  the 
front  to  join  the  army  of  his  country  in  the  European 
war,  and  it  was  received  with  applause ! I cannot  see  why 
it  should  be  counted  praiseworthy  for  this  young  Christian 
to  shoot  at  a dozen  Christian  men  on  the  battlefield  with  the 
intention  of  killing  them,  and  why  likewise  it  should  not  be 
counted  praiseworthy  to  shoot  at  this  distinguished  speaker 
on  the  street  with  the  intention  of  killing  him.  He  certainly 
would  not  have  so  considered  it.  Neither  would  the  public. 
Here  is  one  of  the  marks  of  our  semi-civilization,  affirming 
that  it  is  wrong  for  two  or  three  men  to  have  a personal 
encounter  with  the  intention  of  killing,  but  it  is  not  wrong 
if  the  number  be  in  the  hundreds  or  thousands.  Then  it 
becomes  legalized  and  honorable.  But  this  is  militarism. 

^ Luke  23:34.  2 David  Starr  Jordan  in  War  and  Waste. 


4 


Of  course  militarism  was  in  the  world  long  before 
Napoleon,  but  he  remains  as  the  best  personification  of  it  in 
these  times.  He  is  the  successor  of  the  great  military  leaders 
of  the  world  and  is  himself  the  most  brilliant  of  them  all. 
His  earthly  career,  like  that  of  Christ,  was  short.  Also  like 
Christ,  he  died  without  an  empire  or  a throne,  but  the  spirit 
of  Napoleon  and  all  that  he  stood  for  is  the  dominating 
tyrant  of  Europe  in  these  times  and  of  the  world  as  well, 
only  Europe  is  in  a condition  to  show  it  more  clearly.  One 
afternoon  in  Paris,  at  tite  beginning  of  the  war,  we  strolled 
out  to  the  Arc  de  Triomphe  de  I’Etoile.  A gentleman  in 
civilian  clothes  shortly  appeared  with  more  than  a hundred 
boys,  apparently  from  some  school,  and  there  at  considerable 
length  told  of  Napoleon,  his  army  and  victories,  emphasizing 
his  personality  as  the  greatest  and  the  most  ideal  of  all  time. 
I am  told  that  this  is  a common  occurrence.  Not  only  the 
French,  but  the  Germans  as  well  “have  gradually  acquired  a 
profound  and  ever  profounder  reverence  for  the  creed  and 
the  religion  toward  which  that  great  and  solitary  spirit, 
perhaps  the  loneliest  among  the  children  of  men,  still  struggled 
amid  the  tumults  and  desolations,  the  triumphs  and  the  glories, 
the  victory  and  the  disaster  of  his  tragic  and  brief  career — 
a world  tragedy  his,  at  once  the  man  of  destiny  andjthe 
antagonist  of  destiny.”  ^ ’ 

Long  ago  Nietzsche  in  severest  language  denounced  the 
teachings  of  Christ  as  unmanly  and  dishonorable.  He 
boldly  set  forth  his  rendition  of  the  Beatitudes  as  follows : 
“Ye  have  heard  how  in  old  times  it  was  said,  Blessed  are  the 
meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth ; but  I say  unto  you, 
Blessed  are  the  valiant,  for  they  shall  make  the  earth  their 
throne.  And  ye  have  heard  men  say.  Blessed  are  the  poor  in 
spirit ; but  I say  unto  you.  Blessed  are  the  great  in  soul  and  the 
free  in  spirit,  for  they  shall  enter  into  Valhalla.  And  ye  have 
heard  men  say.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers ; but  I say  unto 
you,  Blessed  are  the  warmakers,  for  they  shall  be  called,  if  not 
the  children  of  Jahve,  the  children  of  Odin,  who  is  greater  than 
^ J.  Cramb  in  Germany  and  England. 


5 


Jahve.”  Many,  who  would  discard  without  hesitancy  this 
crass  militarism,  nevertheless  are  indirectly  the  subscribers 
to  the  Creed  of  Napoleon  and  the  Beatitudes  of  Nietzsche. 

As  a result  of  belief  in  this  doctrine,  all  Europe  to-day 
is  “bankruptcy  armed  to  the  teeth.”  The  war  debt  of  Europe 
amounts  to  $27,000,000,000,  with  an  annual  interest  payment 
exceeding  $1,000,000,000.  On  the  opening  of  this  war  there 
has  been  a daily  expenditure  of  $50,000,000,  including  all  the 
nations  involved.  So  that  as  impossible  as  it  was  for  Europe 
to  pay  her  war  debt  before,  it  is  more  impossible  now,  leaving 
the  nations  burdened  to  despair,  all  because  of  belief  in  the 
folly  that  great  armaments  maintain  peace  and  wars  solve 
things.  Some  are  seeing  that  neither  policy  is  true,  though 
so  earnestly  believed  by  many  of  the  great.  It  was  Disraeli, 
however,  who  so  truly  said : “War  is  never  a solution ; it 

is  an  aggravation.” 

The  United  States  has  imitated  Europe  in  maintaining 
great  armaments  and  looking  with  pride  upon  the  false  glories 
of  war.  Said  a London  editor  to  me : “Unless  you  Americans 
check  your  military  party,  your  country  will  be  in  a similar 
war  to  ours  in  less  than  thirty  years.”  It  is  immaterial  as  to 
what  will  be  the  cause  of  it  or  what  nations  will  be  involved. 
There  need  be  only  a large  army  and  a large  navy  with 
thousands  of  men  trained  to  fight,  and  they  need  but  the  most 
trifling  thing  to  start  them  doing  that  for  which  they  have 
been  trained.  We  are  now  spending  $800,000  a day  for  our 
armaments  and  by  the  next  Congress  it  will  go  beyond  a 
million  dollars,  if  the  increase  continues  anything  like  it  has 
been  in  the  past. 

Our  navy  cost  in  round  figures  in  1881,  $13,000,000;  in 
1891,  $22,000,000;  in  1901,  $56,000,000 ; in  1911,  $121,000,000; 
in  1912,  $130,000,000;  and  in  1913,  $146,000,000.  “Its  yearly 
expenses  exceed  the  endowment  revenues  of  all  the  univer- 
sities of  the  world — the  foundations  of  intellectual  advance- 
ment. They  exceed  the  cost  of  maintenance  of  all  industrial 
and  technical  schools  of  all  grades,  including  all  colleges  of 
engineering  and  agriculture — the  foundation  of  the  world’s 


6 


industrial  advancement.”  ‘ Militarism  is  confined  to  no  country. 
It  is  a world  issue  and  so  powerfully  entrenched  that  to 
dethrone  it,  from  Christian  sentiment  alone,  is  one  of  the 
mightiest  tasks  of  these  times.  Carnegie  was  right  when  he  said : 
“We  shall  be  barbarians  to  our  great,  great  grand-children.”* 

After  the  battle  of  Martinique,  Benjamin  Franklin  wrote 
his  “Pest  of  Glory”  as  follows : “A  young  angel  of  distinction, 
being  sent  down  to  this  world  on  some  business  for  the  first 
time,  had  an  old  courier  spirit  assigned  him  as  a guide.  They 
arrived  over  the  sea  of  Martinico  in  the  middle  of  the  long 
day  of  an  obstinate  fight  between  the  fleets  of  Rodney  and  de 
Grasse,  when,  through  the  clouds  of  smoke,  he  saw  the 
fire  of  the  guns,  the  decks  covered  with  mangled  limbs  and 
bodies  dead  or  dying,  the  ships  sinking,  burning  or  blown  into 
the  air,  and  the  quantity  of  pain,  misery,  and  destruction. 
The  crews  yet  alive  were  thus  with  so  much  eagerness  dealing 
around  to  one  another,  he  turned  eagerly  to  his  guide  and 
said:  ‘You  blundering  blockhead,  you,  so  ignorant  of  your 
business ; you  undertook  to  conduct  me  to  Earth,  and  you 
have  brought  me  to  Hell.’  ‘No,  sir,’  replied  the  guide,  ‘I  have 
made  no  mistake.  This  is  really  the  Earth,  and  these  are 
men.  Devils  never  treat  each  other  in  this  cruel  manner. 
They  have  more  sense  and  more  of  what  men  call  humanity.’  ” 

The  European  war  has  involved  the  whole  world  in  its 
struggle.  Like  all  the  movements  of  militarism,  both  morality 
and  democracy  have  been  severely  assaulted  and  removed 
out  of  their  places  as  positively  as  one  army  putting  another 
to  flight.  The  religion  of  Christ  still  struggles  for  its 
place  in  the  hearts  of  men.  It  is  the  struggle  between  reason 
and  force,  between  Christ  and  the  Antichrist.  It  was  this 
that  crucified  Christ  and  buried  Him  behind  the  sealed  door 
of  a stone  tomb,  but  He  arose  from  the  dead.  It  Is  this  that 
has  divided  the  Church  with  anathemas,  excommunications 
and  withdrawals,  perpetuating  the  numerous  divisions  in 
Christendom,  so  that  the  Greek  church,  the  Roman  Catholic 

David  Starr  Jordan  in  War  and  Waste.  * Andrew  Carnegie  in 
Triumphant  Democracy. 


7 


church  and  Protestant  churches  all  come  under  condemnation, 
to  whatever  extent  they  have  at  any  time  adopted  the  methods 
of  force,  and  they  have  all  done  it.  Present-day  belligerency 
and  unbrotherly  suspicions  among  Christians  because  of  theo- 
logical, psychological  and  sociological  differences  is  a remnant 
of  it. 

But  the  religion  of  Christ  has  survived  through  this 
attack  and  some  day  she  will  go  up  to  her  triumph  as  the 
great  head  of  the  Church  did  from  His  resurrection,  for  he 
Himself  said:  “The  gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail  against 

it.”  ^ All  institutions  state  or  ecclesiastical  that  have  pursued 
the  policy  of  militarism  have  been  under  the  Antichrist.  He 
is  on  the  throne  of  the  world.  John  affirmed : “The  whole 

world  lieth  in  the  evil  one,”  * and  Paul  said : “The  god  of 

this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  the  unbelieving,  that  the 
light  of  the  Gospel  of  the  glory  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image 
of  God,  should  not  dawn  upon  them.”  ® 

Democracy,  fraternity,  equality,  equity — these  are  the 
principles  of  Christ.  Free  institutions,  self-government  and 
brotherhood  can  attain  their  highest  development  under  His 
leadership.  Without  Him  all  attainment  is  superficial 
and  temporary.  Against  all  these,  however,  the  Antichrist 
hurls  his  scorn  and  by  force  battles  into  apparent  ruin  the 
only  principles  that  have  given  hope  for  making  this  world 
better.  The  European  war  has  brought  into  the  light  this 
great  struggle  as  perhaps  has  never  been  seen  before.  The 
religion  of  Christ  has  been  winning  to  His  yoke  fellowship 
earnest  souls  in  all  nations  and  out  from  these  have  gone 
strong  influences  for  the  better  and  saner  way.  Peace 
advocates  have  not  been  driven  from  their  positions.  What 
they  have  thought  has  taken  lodgment  and  the  reasonable- 
ness of  adjusting  differences  between  nations  in  an  inter- 
national court  is  appearing  to  many  to  be  as  truly  the  path 
to  civilization  as  for  adjusting  differences  between  individuals 
in  a civil  court.  Christian  teaching  has  not  been  in  vain. 

1 Matt.  16:18.  2I  John  5:19.  Cor.  4:4. 


8 


While  for  a time  it  may  be  driven  out  of  the  counsel  chamber 
of  the  nations,  it  is  still  influencing  them.  But  the  human 
heart  “is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  it  is  exceedingly 
corrupt ; who  can  know  it  ?”  ^ 

Merely  to  avow  one’s  belief  in  Christianity  is  an  uncertain 
thing.  Constantine  did  this  and  bound  together  the  Cross 
and  the  sword.  Centuries  followed  his  example  with 
accumulating  disaster  and  scandal.  Now  to  wrench  the  Cross 
from  the  sword  is  a difficult  task.  But  it  must  be  done.  And 
it  will  be  done.  The  Church  must  clear  herself,  however 
costly  it  may  be.  Christ  and  the  Antichrist  must  separate. 
The  temptation  of  the  wilderness  is  not  over.  The  siege  is 
long.  Faith  still  looks  for  triumph,  because  of  her  resting  on 
the  arm  of  Christ,  who  cannot  “fail  nor  be  discouraged.”  * 
Lines  of  thought  that  lead  to  force  must  be  abandoned.  As 
said  the  late  Pope : “We  must  think  peace.”  Against  the 

long  lines  of  thoughts  of  war,  to  think  peace  is  a costly  revolu- 
tion, upsetting  many  sacred  traditions  and  setting  us  to  the 
rewording  of  our  prayers.  Only  in  thinking  peace  after  the 
thought  of  Christ  will  we  be  able  to  find  in  Him  the  Prince 
of  Peace. 

Religious  bigotry  and  racial  and  national  patriotism  must 
receive  some  severe  scourging.  They  both  have  gotten  their 
strength  from  the  Antichrist  rather  than  the  Christ.  Emerson 
felt  this  profoundly  when  he  said:  “We  hesitate  to  employ 

a word  so  much  abused  as  patriotism,  whose  true  sense  is 
almost  the  reverse  of  the  popular  sense.  We  have  no  sympa- 
thy with  that  boyish  egotism,  hoarse  with  cheering  for  one 
side,  for  one  State,  for  one  town.  The  right  patriotism  con- 
sists in  ';he  delight  which  springs  from  contributing  our  pe- 
culiar and  legitimate  advantages  for  the  benefit  of  humanity.” 
The  earth  is  the  Lord’s  and  “He  made  of  one  every  nation  of 
men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth.”®  The  religion 
of  Christ  is  a brotherhood  that  rises  above  all  racial  and 
national  cleavages.  It  is  the  only  way  to  civilization.  The 

ijer,  17:9.  2 Isa.  42:4.  * Acts  17:26. 


9 


other  method  has  brought  disaster  and  repeats  the  disaster 
every  few  decades,  indicating  the  difficulty  in  teaching  the 
corrupt  human  heart. 

But  whatever  winsomeness  there  is  in  human  life  to-day 
is  of  God.  The  religion  of  Christ  must  so  deepen  the  beauty 
of  that  life  that  its  very  winsomeness  will  quicken  in  all  souls 
the  desire  to  be  like  those  in  the  league  of  Christ.  Some  may 
object  to  His  yoke  fellowship.  Others  may  declare  that  the 
best  of  the  world  came  from  other  sources.  Still  others  may 
break  forth  in  severe  hostility.  These  conditions  must  not 
effect  one’s  personal  attachment  to  Christ.  The  soul  that 
clings  to  Him  needs  only  to  be  patient  and  heroic  even  to 
the  extent  of  giving  human  life  away.  Christ  did  that  for 
us  and  He  said  that  our  experience  in  coming  after  Him 
would  be  something  like  His.  It  means  all  this  to  be  a 
Christian.  It  meant  death  once;  it  may  mean  death  again. 
Satan  said  of  Job ; “All  that  a man  hath  will  he  give  for 
his  life.”^  It  was  not  true  in  that  instance  and  it  is  not  true 
now.  The  redemption  of  the  world  lies  in  the  via  crucis. 
Every  soul’s  choice  of  the  Christ  of  love  over  the  Antichrist 
of  force  means  widening  of  the  via  lucis.  In  His  light  shall 
we  see  light.  ^ The  final  victory  is  as  sure  as  God.  This  world 
shall  be  taken  away  from  the  Antichrist.  It  shall  be  lifted 
out  of  sin  into  holiness.  “They  overcame  him  because  of 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  because  of  the  word  of  their 
testimony ; and  they  loved  not  their  life  even  unto  death.”® 

^ Job  2:4.  2 Psalm  36:9.  ® Rev.  12:11. 


'it 


/ 


The  Church  Peace  Union 

(^Founded  by  Andrew  Carnegie) 

TRUSTEES 


Rev.  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Rev.  Arthur  Judson  Brown,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York. 

Rev.  Francis  E.  Clark,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Boston,  Mass. 
President  W.  H.  P.  Faunce,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Providence,  R.  1. 
His  Eminence,  James  Cardinal  Gibbons,  Baltimore,  Md. 
Rt.  Rev.  David  H.  Greer,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York 
Rev.  Frank  O.  Hall,  D.D.,  New  York. 

Bishop  E.  R.  Hendrix,  D.D.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Rabbi  Emil  G.  Hirsch,  LL.D.,  Chicago,  III. 

Hamilton  Holt,  LL.D.,  New  York. 

Professor  William  I.  Hull,  Ph.D.,  Swarthmore,  Pa. 

Rev.  Charles  E.  Jefferson,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York. 

Rev.  Jenkin  Lloyd  Jones,  LL.D.,  Chicago,  111. 

Rt.  Rev.  William  Lawrence,  D.D.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Rev.  Frederick  Lynch,  D.D.,  New  York. 

Rev.  Charles  S.  Macfarland,  Ph.D.,  New  York. 

Marcus  M.  Marks,  New  York 

Dean  Shailer  Mathews,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Chicago,  III 

Edwin  D.  Mead,  M.A.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Rev.  William  Pierson  Merrill,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York. 
John  R.  Mott,  LL.D.,  New  York 
George  A.  Plimpton,  LL.D.,  New  York. 

Rev.  Julius  B.  Remensnyder,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York. 
Judge  Henry  Wade  Rogers,  LL.D.,  New  York. 

Robert  E.  Speer,  D.D.,  New  York. 

Francis  Lynde  Stetson,  New  York. 

James  J.  Walsh,  M.D.,  New  York. 

Bishop  Luther  B.  Wilson,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  New  York. 


